#43.
It was a good time.
Of course, that was a story limited only to us, who were confined to the separate palace.
The war waged by the mad emperor of Reutlingen had spread beyond the northern Windsor, reaching Vallea in the north and Aldar in the south. The people of southern Windsor had also been mobilized for the war, but we, confined in that palace, had no way of knowing such news.
It was a time when the aftermath of the war had not yet reached the heart of Reutlingen. The imperial palace was still buzzing with excitement over the continuous victory reports, and it was always busy and luxurious with the accompanying balls.
Meanwhile, we, the people of the separate palace, were busy playing princess, though we lived in poverty.
Every morning, the maid whose turn it was would wear the clothes the princess had taken off, put on the veil, and adorn herself with the few worn-out Windsor-style ornaments we had. Then, at the break of dawn, we would help the princess put on her maid’s uniform.
“I can do it myself.”
Our princess never left anything to others, not a single thing. With that personality, I now think it was perhaps why she allowed us to play these roles. However, at that time, we all believed something terrible would happen if we didn’t assist the princess.
“Won’t you sit down?”
With the privilege of being her old childhood friend, I managed to forcibly make the princess sit down. Now, it was time for all of us maids to devote ourselves to concealing the princess’s beauty under the maid’s uniform.
We braided her beautiful red hair up to her temples to hide it and dressed her in the most tattered clothes we could find. Only then would Prince Reiner arrive, always prepared to smile, his familiar clumsy speech ready to follow.
“Edwina, with your hair done like that, you look like a cute little child.”
“Reiner, you’re prettier.”
When the princess responded in her usual indifferent tone, the prince’s face would blush like a girl’s.
Old Hilda would cackle and pretend to serve food, while one of the maids would pretend to be the princess, blindfolded, eating diligently.
Even with Prince Reiner, old Hilda, and Tilbert guarding the door of the separate palace, we continued our role-playing because of the listening ears and tattling mouths scattered throughout the empire. The mad emperor could return to the imperial palace at any moment, and every time he returned, one or two people would die.
We were always extremely cautious because none of us wanted to play the role of a scapegoat, beheaded for nothing more than offending the emperor’s temper. Even Prince Reiner would sneak in with the utmost care, as if he were lighter than a kitten, when he brought food.
However, the tension only made the peaceful moments we enjoyed feel even sweeter.
After the meal, Prince Reiner would raise his head like a cat whining at its owner.
“Edwina, didn’t you like what I brought? Please praise me quickly. Will you read to me?”
No one could say no to that.
The princess, despite seeming aloof, had a rather kind heart. When the princess began reciting, the prince would slowly lean on her shoulder.
Sometimes, as if trying to sneak a peek at the illustrations, he would rest his head on the princess’s small shoulder and tilt his head. Sometimes, his posture would collapse entirely, and he’d end up lying on our princess’s lap. When he was in a good mood, the princess would silently allow him to indulge in his childlike behavior.
Familiarity is truly a terrifying thing. Like a constant drizzle, Prince Reiner gradually slipped into our daily lives, and before we knew it, the princess’s lap had become his regular resting spot.
Our princess always said she had no time or interest in things like love, yet her actions were so affectionate. If I were Prince Reiner, this kind of torment would have been unbearable.
Even though the princess might have thought of him as nothing more than a pet dog or a younger brother, one day, she even kissed him! Ah yes, I cannot leave that part out.
It happened when the princess was telling the story of Sir Arthur Gillen and Princess Guinevere.
“So, Edwina, did Sir Arthur Gillen really wait in front of Queen Guinevere’s castle for 100 days? Without eating or sleeping?”
“Yes, King Lancelot said that if he waited there for 100 days without moving, he’d give him the queen.”
“How absurd. Isn’t the queen… Lancelot’s wife? How can someone just give their wife to a friend? Does that even make sense?”
“Guinevere knew Sir Arthur Gillen before she married King Lancelot and became queen. The two had been friends since they were very young. Sir Arthur Gillen’s first love was Guinevere, and Guinevere also loved Arthur Gillen. Lancelot, knowing this, still desired Guinevere. He proposed to his friend’s lover under the guise of his royal title, eventually making her his wife.”
“That’s awful. I don’t want to insult your ancestors, Edwina, but what a scoundrel.”
“It’s fine, Reiner. I insult your father all the time. King Lancelot was just like your father.”
While I was checking the door to ensure no one could hear them, the two of them exchanged conspiratorial smiles, laughing together. After their laughter subsided, Prince Reiner urged the princess to continue.
“So, Edwina, why did that wretched ancestor of yours offer to give his wife to his friend after all that?”
“Since it was a forced marriage, there was no real bond of loyalty between husband and wife. Guinevere fulfilled her duties as a wife, but Lancelot was always anxious that she still had feelings for Arthur Gillen. Every time a victory report came in, a banquet would be held at the Arley Palace in Windsor. If Sir Arthur Gillen and Guinevere happened to meet eyes at such a time, Guinevere would be beaten until she nearly died. There was never a time when her fair face wasn’t bruised.”
“That’s, that’s… exactly like something my father would do.”
“Yes, even though he trembled with anxiety and jealousy, Lancelot never had the guts to punish or cast out Sir Arthur Gillen. After all, Arthur was the foremost hero who had subjugated the nine clans that ruled over the alliance and unified them into a single kingdom. So, Lancelot simply harbored a festering jealousy in his heart. One night, drunk and feigning nonchalance, he slyly asked his friend, ‘Do you still love Queen Guinevere?’”
“How disgusting. So, what did Sir Arthur Gillen say?”
“This foolish founding hero couldn’t tell a lie, of course. Arthur couldn’t say, ‘No, I do not love her,’ and simply kept his mouth shut. Lancelot, drunk and covered in blood from fighting the northern barbarians, got all worked up and said, ‘Shall I give you my wife?’”
“And then? What happened next?”
“Just as in that Arthur Gillen story you brought, Reiner, it happened like this: Lancelot said that if Arthur stood outside the queen’s castle for 100 days without moving, he could have Guinevere.”
“Did Queen Guinevere agree to that?”
At this point, Prince Reiner, now quite excited, jumped up from the princess’s lap, only to sway slightly as dizziness hit him. Princess Edwina smiled and gently grasped his face with both hands, ruffling his messy hair like one would pet a large dog.
“No, you men are always like that—just thinking of yourselves.”
As if suddenly outraged by the thought of their story, Princess Edwina’s hands tightened their grip on Reiner’s head.
“Ow, Edwina! It hurts. I promise I wouldn’t do that to you. Now, won’t you continue the story?”
“Oh, sorry. Right, without Guinevere’s consent, Arthur Gillen and Lancelot made their little bet all on their own. Arthur stood outside Queen Guinevere’s castle, not moving, not eating, not drinking.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Of course not. It’s just a legend. In reality, he probably ate and drank, but regardless of that, whether it rained or snowed, he never left his spot.”
“Even so, a person would die doing that.”
“Indeed. Standing still for 100 days, in any case, would have been incredibly hard. By the time 90 days had passed, Arthur couldn’t do anything anymore. He was in so much pain that all he could do was cry. He couldn’t eat or drink, just sit there, looking up at Guinevere on the balcony, weeping.”
“What a foolish man…”
“Yes, but that foolish man was still far better than King Lancelot. On the 99th day, with only one day left, he simply walked away.”
“Why on earth would he do that?”
“Well, there are many theories. Some say that he left because if he had waited the full 100 days and taken Guinevere, he would have incurred Lancelot’s wrath.”
“If that’s the case, he wouldn’t have waited at all, right? He wouldn’t have started the 100 days in the first place.”
“Exactly. That’s why I believe the other theory. The one that says that after waiting for 99 days, Sir Arthur Gillen finally realized that there was no meaning in winning the queen as some kind of prize, and so he left.”
“That’s quite the late realization.”
“Still, better late than never. Queen Guinevere seemed to think so too.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The queen, after seeing Sir Arthur Gillen wait for 99 days and then leave her side, followed him.”
“She left King Lancelot? Well, that’s good news. Did they reunite?”
“Who knows? All we know is that both of them disappeared into the forest and were never seen again. Not long after, King Lancelot went mad—just like your father—and eventually, he was killed by his own son.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
“If you said that in front of someone from Windsor, Reiner Selené von Reutlingen, your life wouldn’t be safe.”
“And who was it that just insulted the Emperor of Reutlingen, Edwina Windsor?”
Seeing Prince Reiner, now comfortable enough to banter back at the princess, she laughed.
“Yes, you’re right. Anyway, that’s how the contest between a foolish man and a slightly less foolish man ended, marking the downfall of the first dynasty of Windsor.”
“But Edwina, what if Sir Arthur Gillen had only ever planned to wait for 99 days?”
“What do you mean?”
“Wasn’t Sir Arthur Gillen a knight of justice and valor, the one who ran hundreds of miles to save the life of a crying child?”
“Yes, everyone in Windsor loved Sir Arthur Gillen.”
“Do you really think he would have waited 100 days just to claim Queen Guinevere? He must have known how hard life was for Guinevere beside King Lancelot, and that the royal castle was like a prison to her.”
As Prince Reiner continued his speech, determined to explain his thoughts without a break, Princess Edwina’s usually indifferent green eyes began to sparkle with interest.
“Then what? If Arthur had waited for 100 days, he could have just taken the queen. Why leave after 99 days?”
“Well, if it were me, if I were Arthur Gillen, I don’t think I would have waited to claim Guinevere after the 100 days. I’d wait for 99 days and then leave. I’d give her a reason to follow me, create a pretext for her to leave the king, and from afar, I’d watch over her.”
“Why would you watch over her?”
“Well, because it would be dangerous for a woman to travel alone…”
“You sneaky fool. Dangerous, my foot! You’d just watch because you like her. You really are an untrustworthy Reutlingen, aren’t you?”
Though she said that, the princess’s voice was unusually gentle, showing that she was quite taken with his interpretation.
“Yes, sneaky. But that’s love, isn’t it? Trying to give her a chance to leave, but then also not being able to leave her alone, watching over her from afar.”
“What do you know about love, little one?”
“I’m twice your size, Edwina.”
We were all laughing at their banter when the princess, as if in a playful mood, grabbed Reiner’s cheek and gave him a loud kiss on his now more defined jawline.
“What… what are you doing?”
“Just that, Reiner von Reutlingen. I quite like your interpretation.”
It wasn’t the kind of kiss shared between lovers but rather the affectionate gesture one might give to a small, belly-up kitten.
Yet, Prince Reiner’s face turned beet red in an instant. Seeing him like that, anyone would feel a playful urge to tease him further. And so, our princess placed more kisses on his forehead and cheeks, one after another.
But instead of fainting from embarrassment, as one might have expected, Prince Reiner, like a demure bride, simply offered his cheeks to Princess Edwina, looking almost pitiable in his quiet obedience.
It was then that the princess’s amused gaze turned sharp with irritation.
Interrupting the string of kisses, she suddenly asked, “Reiner.”
“Mmm?”
“You’re not trembling?”
“Mmm? Why do you ask?”
“You idiot.”
Suddenly, Princess Edwina shot up, yelling. But Prince Reiner didn’t seem fazed. He just looked up at her with the expression of a scolded child.
“You fool, how many times did you rewind this?”
Only then did I realize what had happened. Prince Reiner had rewound time, over and over, just to receive those kisses again and again, each time replaying the moment, just one minute earlier, then another.
What I, the oblivious Josephine, hadn’t noticed, the sharp-eyed Princess Edwina had instantly realized. Just as Prince Reiner had once explained, those who understood how to manipulate time could detect even the slightest clue, replaying events while carrying all their memories forward.
“Uh, well, it happened without me realizing…”
“You pathetic idiot! How can something like that happen without you knowing?”
“I mean, I just liked it so much that… without thinking…”
While Prince Reiner made his unconvincing excuses, memories of the repeated kisses flooded back to my mind, one after another. It was as if, without my realizing it, time itself had rewound. The kiss, which had ended only moments ago, seemed to rewind, replaying itself. Then, the story of Sir Arthur Gillen rewound, and even the start of the day replayed. My head spun with the sudden influx of memories as I tried to calm Princess Edwina.
“Princess, so what? It was a happy time, a perfect day. What’s wrong with repeating it a few times?”
“He promised never to rewind time again, this idiot!”
The princess ignored my plea and snarled at Prince Reiner. The prince, like a child who had been scolded too many times, quickly raised his arms to protect his head. That familiar, pitiful gesture of someone who’s used to being hit softened the princess’s anger.
“Are… are you going to hit me?”
“Who said I was going to hit you?”
“It’s okay. Go ahead and hit me.”
“…When have I ever hit you?”
“It’s alright, Edwina. I’m good at taking hits. You know, there’s a skill to getting hit…”
In his thoroughly subdued voice, Prince Reiner said this as Princess Edwina approached him. She grabbed his long arms—arms that had grown manlier—despite his posture of shielding his head.
“You fool, I’m not going to hit you. Put your arms down.”
“Reaaally?”
“Reiner, I understand that you were happy with my praise. But you know, I can give you compliments without you rewinding time. So stop wasting your talent on that.”
“P-Praise..? When did you ever praise me? You scolded me for being sneaky.”
“I said I liked your interpretation. That’s a huge compliment.”
“Mmm, but Edwina, it wasn’t the praise I liked. It was your kiss. Could you do it again?”
“Kiss? What kiss? I’m never doing that again. So don’t rewind.”
In the end, Prince Reiner found himself on the receiving end of a playful knuckle rap, looking utterly dejected.
“Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t hit meee?”
The maids and attendants, drawn by the commotion, gathered around. Princess Edwina ended up telling the story again—for what must have been the fourth time. Despite hearing it over and over, Prince Reiner listened attentively and asked, as if for the first time:
“Edwina, do you think Queen Guinevere and Sir Arthur Gillen met again?”
“I don’t know. What do you think, Reiner?”
“Well, as I said earlier, if I were Sir Arthur Gillen, I would’ve pretended to leave, watched over Queen Guinevere from afar, and then reappeared the moment she started her journey. And then…”
“And then?”
“If Lancelot were like my father, he would’ve sent someone to track the queen, and once they met, he would’ve killed them both.”
“If Sir Arthur Gillen had waited obediently for 100 days in front of the queen’s castle, do you think Lancelot would really have handed over Guinevere without any trouble?”
“Well, now that I think about it, if Lancelot were like my father, he probably would’ve killed the queen and handed Sir Arthur Gillen her head.”
Despite the gruesome remark, Prince Reiner continued smiling angelically, leaving Princess Edwina shaking her head.
“That’s why you should live quietly, knowing how scary your father is. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble. Got it?”
“Yes, yes, I understand. I’ll just listen to everything you say. I’ll do everything just as you say.”
“Listen? You can’t even stop rewinding time like I asked. You wouldn’t wait 100 days; you wouldn’t even wait ten before skipping ahead, you terrifying creature.”
“Edwina, is there any place in the world where terrifying creatures get bullied like this?”
Even though she had teased him mercilessly, our princess didn’t push away the prince when he laid his head on her lap. Instead, with gentle hands, she stroked his soft hair.
Watching them, I thought to myself: for the princess, too, this must have been a perfect day—one worth repeating three times over.
Author’s Note
To my dear readers,
Are you still alive?
…That was bold of me, wasn’t it?
I’m sorry for being late.
What’s that? You say it’s fine?
You say you didn’t wait at all?
You say you’d forgotten about it?
I love you all, anyway…
Mondays after a holiday are never perfect, but I hope Edwina and Reiner can wash away at least some of the fatigue of your daily lives as they arrive at the end of the day.
P.S.: Thank you to 재겸님, 치이이즈님, 초코벽돌님, 솔그루님, Sen98님, and jinsol6765 for your support and coupons.
P.S.2: To those who left favorites, comments, and recommendations, and to those who waited—thank you so much. I brought continuous updates to repay your patience, so click on the next chapter!
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(2/7)
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